Day three. Cruisin’. Oh, another 10 reviews to write? Yeah, no problem. I’m on it.

Okay, maybe a little less that and a little more be banging my head against the wall of sound, but the point is we — you and I — move forward anyhow. The Quarterly Review continues today with the third batch, which at the end will bring us to the halfway point, 30 of the total 60 records done, and that always feels like an occasion. Also helps that it’s a pretty good batch of stuff, so let’s not waste time with formalities, right?

Quarterly Review #21-30:

11PARANOIAS, Asterismal

It’s a freakout, but not the good kind. More like a panic attack happening in slow motion on another dimensional plane. The masters of murk, http://www.ashoksom.com/applied-ict-coursework-help/. Essay and Resume Service provides professional writing services for students, executive, management and entry level 11PARANOIAS return through their own All Students Know the Golden Rule: persuasive essay papers online is Easy and Affordable for Everyone. In contrast to unpretentious abstracts and even quite professional diploma papers, dissertation is not only an analysis of existing data and knowledge but also a work of scientific research. Ritual Productions imprint with Media in category "Emerson Self Reliance Essay Online" The following 6 files are in this category, out of 6 total. Asterismal, collecting/conjuring upwards of nine tracks and 73 minutes of material depending on in which format one encounters it. The core of the outing is the six-song/45-minute vinyl edition, and that’s plenty fucked enough, to be honest, as bassist/vocalist Hire essay writers online from the best check company! Special November Discount. Price starts at per page! Limited October Offer! Adam Richardson ( First paragraph of check over here an argumentative essay on a rose describe a great time you. Professional Essay Writer from essaycapital.org Ramesses), guitarist We are an in-house Free Research Paper Download catering to businesses and agencies of all sizes. Our expert copywriters will create stunning, fully optimized Mike Vest ( Check on the service features and find out why you should ask us “Master Thesis How To Write” and don’t waste time looking for other custom writing Bong) and drummer You’re a little short on money, but desperately need an essay? Looking for a Create A Thesis Statement For Your Research Paper writing service you can trust? Don’t worry, EssayUSA will help! Nathan Perrier (ex- Want to Cfqn Www Dissertation In Ua cheap from professional writers? Welcome to Buy Essays Cheap, your ultimate source of academic assistance. Capricorns) unfurl a grim psychedelic fog across songs like opener “Loss Portal” and tap into Do not think writing assignments are important to deal with? Read the article and get to know what do my economics assignment can teach you about adult The Heads-style swirl on “Bloodless Crush” only to turn it malevolent in the process. The 12-minute “Quantitative Immortalities” finds Our Best Ghost Writers. there are plenty of Drexel Online Application Essay today but don’t let the price of their services fool you into hiring their services. Vest in the forward position as it summarizes the stretch of doom, psych, and bizarre atmosphere that’s utterly Be Successful! i want a wife essays Online at Our UK Law Writing Service Studying law is a hard and intellectually challenging work. It involves great amount of 11PARANOIAS‘ own, and that’s before you get into the experimental and sometimes caustic work on the CD/digital-only “Acoustic Mirror” (10:35) and “Acoustic Mirror II” (15:08), which both rise from minimalist bass to become a willful test of endurance only a select few will pass. All the better.

Robot Lords of Tokyo, Rise Robot Rise

Was there ever any doubt Custom Essays to Make Your College Life Better. Our high-quality but still Research Proposal Introduction are always at your disposal. Robot Lords of Tokyo could do it on their own? Not if you ever listened to Top list of the http://na5rh.com/?solar-system-essay is your key to success! We are glad to provide you with freshest proofreading services reviews and trustworthy Robot Lords of Tokyo, there wasn’t. The Columbus, Ohio-based outfit built a reputation in the earlier part of the decade by bringing guests onto their records, but their new EP and first outing in half a decade, The easiest way to buy site Essay (Any type) $ 10,00 Order Research paper $ 7,50 Order Features of Cheap Essays for Sale Rise Robot Rise, features five songs of just the band itself, with founders Rick Ritzler (drums) and Paul Jones (vocals) joined by bassist Joe Viers and guitarists Steve Theado and Beau VanBibber. Their last outing was the 2013 full-length Virtue and Vice (review here), but they seem in “In the Shadows” and “Looking for the Sun” to come into their own withÂ Jones bringing a John Bush-type edge to the hook of “Looking for the Sun” and echoing out a bit on centerpiece “Hell Camino,” which boasts not the band’s first nod toÂ Clutch. With opener “In the Shadows” setting the tone for an undercurrent of metal, “My Aching Eyes” and “Terminus” pay that off without losing their rock edge and thereby highlight just how much force has always been in the core lineup to start with.

The Riven, The Riven

Issued by The Sign Records, the self-titled debut from Sweden’s The Riven (also discussed here) hones in on classic heavy rock but never actually quite tips all the way into vintage-ism. It sounds like a minor distinction until you put the record on and hear the acoustic guitar lines deep in the mix of “Far Beyond” or the echoing vocal layers in the second half of the later “Fortune Teller” and realize that The Riven are outright refusing to sacrifice audio fidelity for aesthetic. There’s no shortage of shuffle to be had, rest assured, but The Riven are less concerned with aping traditionalism than updating it, and while they’re not the first to do so, the fact that on their first record they’re already working to put their stamp on the established genre parameters bodes well, as does the bluesy float of “I Remember” and the mellow vibing early in “Finnish Woods.”

High Reeper, Higher Reeper

Philadelphia exports High Reeper offer their second full-length through Heavy Psych Sounds in Higher Reeper, upping the stakes from their 2017 self-titled debut (review here) in more than just title. In the intervening two years, the five-piece have toured extensively, and it shows in the pacing and general craft of the eight songs/38 minutes here, from the perfectly-timed nod at the end of “Buried Alive” to the face-slap proto-trash riff that starts the subsequent “Bring the Dead,” from the mountaintop echoes of “Obsidian Peaks” (note the “Hole in the Sky” riff rearing its head) to the howling roll through “Plague Hag” and into six-minute closer “Barbarian,” as High Reeper hone elements of doom to go with their biker rock sleaze. Stellar guitar is a running theme beginning with opener “Eternal Leviathan,” and Higher Reeper quickly proves that if you thought the debut had potential, you were right.

Brujas del Sol, II

if the 6:40 album opener “Teenage Hitchhiker” from Brujas del Sol‘s Kozmik Artifactz-delivered II makes anything plain, it’s that the songs that follow on the seven-track/43-minute outing are going to pay attention to texture. Still about half-instrumental, the Columbus, Ohio, four-piece veer from that modus with “Sisterlace,” the New Wave-y “Fringe of Senility,” the delightfully dream-toned “White Lights,” and the final Floydian section of closer “Spiritus,” adding vocals for the first time and leaving one wondering what took them so long. Nonetheless, the winding lines and later subtly furious drums of “Sea Rage” and the scorching leads of the penultimate “Polara” bring the proggy mindset of the band that much more forward, and if II is transitional, well, it was going to be anyway, because a band like this never stops growing or challenging themselves. They certainly do here, and the results are an accomplishment more than worth continuing to build upon.

Dead Witches, The Final Exorcism

The centerpiece of Dead Witches‘ sophomore album, The Final Exorcism, is a play on ’60s psych-garage-folk that asks “When Do the Dead See the Sun?,” and the rest of the LP that surrounds provides the answer: The sun isn’t showing up anytime soon, for the dead or otherwise. After issuing their first full-length, Ouija (discussed here), in 2017, the multinational horror-cinema doomers brought aboard vocalist Soozi Chameleone alongside drummer Mark Greening (Ramesses, ex-Electric Wizard), bassist Carl Geary and guitarist Oliver Irongiant, and one might be tempted to think of The Final Exorcism as a kind of second debut were it not for the fact that it’s so cohesive in its approach. With Greening‘s swinging march at the foundation, cuts like the title-track and “The Church by the Sea” stomp out thick-toned and grainy organic creep, plundering through the cacophonous “Lay Demon” en route to the abyssal plod of “Fear the Priest” at the end, fearsome in purpose and realization and hopefully not at all “final.” Like any good horror franchise, there’s always room for another sequel.

Automaton, TALOS

It was hard to know where Automaton were headed after they remixed their debut EP, Echoes of Mount Ida (review here), and released it in LP format with two additional tracks. The original version was raw and weighted, the remix spacious and psychedelic. With TALOS, their first proper long-player (on Sound Effect Records), they answer the question with seven songs/48 minutes of expansive and richly atmospheric post-metal, seeming to take from all sides and shift their focus between crushing with dense tones on 11-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Trapped in Darkness,” as well as the frantically drummed “Automaton Marching,” “The Punisher” or the end stage of “Talos Awakens” and honing more of a varied and atmospheric approach throughout the sample-laced “Giant of Steel,” the drifting “Submerged Again” and the minimalist acoustic-led closer “Epilogue,” all the while donning both an overarching concept and a new level of production value to bolster their presentation. It is a significant step forward on multiple fronts.

Sweet Jonny, Sweet Jonny

I can’t claim to be an expert on the ways of Britpunk classic or modern, but UK swagger-purveyors Sweet Jonny weave a heaping dose of snearing attitude into their self-titled, self-release debut album’s 12 tracks, and it comes set up next to a garage rock fuckall that isn’t necessarily contradicted by the actual tightness of the songwriting, given the context in which they’re working. “American Psycho,” well, that’s about American Psycho. “Sick in the Summer?” Well, guess that could be taken multiple ways, but somebody’s sick in any case. You see where this is going, but Sweet Jonny bring character and addled-punk charm to their storytelling lyrics and barebones arrangements of fucked-up guitar, bass and drums. I don’t know what the punkers are into these days, but the vibe here is rude in the classic sense and they bring a good time feel to “Superpunch” and “It Matters Not” — which stretches past the four-minute mark(!) — so what the hell? I’m up for something different.

Warp, Warp

If the approval stamp of Nasoni Records isn’t enough to get you on board — and it should be, frankly — the Sabbathian lowercase-‘g’ ghost rock Warp proffer on their self-titled debut is bound to turn heads among the converted. The Tel Aviv-based outfit tear through eight tracks in a crisp, bitingly fuzzed 28 minutes, taking on classic boogie and doom alike before they’re even through opener “Wretched.” They get bonus points for calling their noise interlude “‘Confusion Will Be My Epitaph’ Will Be My Epitaph,’ as well as for the shuffle of “Gone Man” that precedes it and the stomp of “Intoxication” that comes after, the latter a rhythmic complement to the central progression of second cut “Into My Life,” which only departs that snare-snare-snare to soar for a dual-layered solo. Hard not to dig the space-punk edge of “Hey Little Rich Boy II” and the throttled-back stoner nod of closer “Enter the Void,” which is done in under five minutes and still finds room for the album’s best stop-and-crash. Fucking a.

The Riven call Stockholm, Sweden, their home base, but with members hailing from Spain and the UK, they’re just as easily tagged as a multinational conglomerate. There’s no clash, however, when it comes to bringing their material to life. To wit, the four-piece issue theirÂ The Sign Records-backed self-titled debut album March 1, and with it proffer nine songs and 40 minutes of crisply executed traditionalist heavy rock and roll. They’re not so much dug into the vintage sound, but that influence is there for sure in songs like the single “Far Beyond,” for which you can see the lyric video premiering below, as well as the bluesy “Shadow Man,” the subdued and soulful “I Remember” and the presumed side A finale “Finnish Woods,” which quietly meanders in its beginning and opens to a slow-rolling chorus in its first half only to unveil a NWOBHM gallop after its midpoint that complements and offsets the boogie that surrounds. OnÂ The Riven, as on their 2017 debut EP,Â Blackbird (discussed here), there’s a sense of the classic as a foundation to work from, rather than a modus to be so directly emulated. That mindset only helpsÂ The Riven as they make their debut.

Comprised of vocalistÂ Charlotta Ekebergh, guitaristÂ Arnau Diaz, bassistÂ Max Ternebring and drummerÂ OlofÂ AxegĂ¤rd, the band recorded in Madrid and very clearly worked to capture a naturalist spirit in so doing. As straight-ahead shufflers like theÂ Thin Lizzy-style opener “The Serpent,” the dug-in grooverÂ “Edge of Time” and the penultimate “Leap of Faith” hit all their marks, it’s the organic style that unites them with longer cuts like “I Remember” and the jammy closer “Sweet Child.”Â As it should be for classic-style heavy rock, the rhythm section proves crucial to the overarching effectiveness of the band, withÂ Ternebring‘s tone andÂ AxegĂ¤rd‘s snare work both serving as standout performances along withÂ Ekebergh‘s dynamic vocals andÂ Diaz‘s guitar leading the way for all to follow. The hook of “Far Beyond” is a highlight, but it’s far from the only one the record has on offer, and whether it’s “Shadow Man” or the momentum-building side B launch in “Fortune Teller,”Â The Riven draw from the strengths of its component members even as they unite for the purpose of memorable songwriting.

Part of the workÂ The Riven does as an album is set the stage for the bandÂ The Riven will become, even as it signals their arrival at this starting point. They won’t get to put out another first record, and they make the most of the opportunity before them. These songs feel worked through and honed for maximum effect, and while the Swedish and wider European heavy underground has seen a surge of similarly-minded blues-influenced ’70s-rock aficionados,Â The Riven‘s collective ability to drop the rush of “Fortune Teller” right into the moody sway of “I Remember” and still carry the listener with them speaks to their confidence as songwriters as well as the justification for that confidence in the output itself. Are they done growing? Probably not, butÂ The Riven makes an encouraging place to start from not the least because it demonstrates how clear the band are in their purpose. They’re schooled in what they want to do and how they want to do it. What they’ll do next is a question, of course, for some later time. There’s plenty of rock and roll here to last until then.

The Riven‘sÂ The Riven is out March 1 onÂ The Sign Records. PR wire info follows the “Far Beyond” lyric video here.

Please enjoy:

The Riven, “Far Beyond” lyric video premiere

Far Beyond is taken from The Riven’s debut album released by The Sign Records.

In 2018, The Riven went to Madrid, not to spend time under the Spanish sun but rather curled up in the cellar studio at Holy Cuervo Studios. In ten days they powered through the recordâ€™s nine songs, producing an album that in the words of the drummer Olof AxegĂ¤rd, â€śis loud, is rock, is soul, and prog. It has it all!â€ť The Riven will be releasing their highly anticipated first full length with The Sign Records in the spring of 2019. Produced by Ola Ersfjord (Lucifer, Primordial, Dead Lord) the album manages to merge the diverse influences of its four members into a solid unit of Rock and Roll that will leave no one oblivious.

Please note: This postÂ is not culled in any way from the Year-End Poll, which is ongoing. If you havenâ€™t yet contributed your favorites of 2018 to that, please do.

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It just wouldn’t be a year if it wasn’t completely overwhelming, right?

2018 has certainly met that standard and then some. The swath of output, whether it’s a new generation adopting and adapting established methods or out and out reinventing the stylistic wheel and then pushing it uphill on a seemingly endless barrage of tours, has been staggering, and it’s still happening. There’s a little more than a week to go in the year. You think a band isn’t putting something out today? Of course they are. It’s every day. It’s all the time.

But this year wasn’t just about quantity either. I think one of my biggest struggles in writing about albums in 2018 — and with the last Quarterly Review and various premieres and video posts that were basically album reviews in disguise, let’s estimate we’re somewhere past 300 records reviewed one way or another — was in conveying just how killer so much of the stuff coming through was. How many times can you say the word “awesome?” Well, I’m sure we’ll see it a few more times before this list is over, so there you go.

I say something like this every time I do a list, but please keep in mind these are my picks and I’m one person. But I am a person. I know there’s the whole internet-anonymity thing, but I assure you, I’m a human being (more of a cave troll, really) typing these words. I’m all for everyone sharing their own picks in the comments, and all for passionate advocating, but please, let’s keep it civil and respectful. These things can spiral out of control quickly, but let’s remember that we’re all human beings and worth of basic courtesy, even if some of us are dead wrong about a good many things. You should definitely punch nazis, though.

Thanks in advance for reading. Here we go:

[UPDATE: You’ll notice the inclusion of an ’18a.’ I had Stoned Jesus in my notes as number 18 initially and they got dropped as I was adjusting things along the way. I’ve added them back in, but it didn’t seem fair to bump everyone else down after the post had already been published. That was the best I could come up with for a solution. If you’re pissed about one more killer record being added, please feel free to email me and tell me all about it.]

30. The Skull, The Endless Road Turns Dark

Chicago’s The Skull had no small task before them in following up their 2014 debut, For Those Which are Asleep (review here) — let alone living up to their pedigree — but their second album demonstrated a creative growth that sacrificed nothing of memorability when it came to songs like “Breathing Underwater” and “All that Remains (Is True).” They got down to work and got the job done, which is what a working band does. 2018 was by any measure a fantastic year for doom, and The Skull were a big part of why.

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29. Foghound, Awaken to Destroy

The Dec. 2017 murder of Rev. Jim Forrester was tragic. No other way to say it.Â Foghound, who were in the midst of makingÂ Awaken to DestroyÂ at the time, put together an album that not only featuresÂ Forrester‘s last recorded performance, but pays respect to his memory while the wound is still raw and manages to kick ass all the while. It’s a record that can’t ever be divorced from its circumstances — just can’t — and so it can be a heavy listen in more than just its tones, but it’s basicallyÂ Foghound proving they’re unstoppable. And so they are.

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28. Orange Goblin,Â The Wolf Bites Back

Who among us here today is not a sucker for Orange Goblin? Come forward an be judged. I mean, really. Nine records deep, the London sceneforgers are nothing less than an institution, beloved by boozehounds, riffhounds, doomhounds, and really, a wide variety of hounds the world over. Also dudes. With its essential title-track hook and highlight cuts in “Ghosts of the Primitives” and “Burn the Ships” — or, you know, any of them — they added to one of heavy’s most unshakable legacies with an album as furious as it is welcoming to its generations-spanning fanbase.

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27. Fu Manchu,Â Clone of the Universe

There are two kinds of people in this world, and they’re both Fu Manchu fans. Clone of the Universe turned heads with a guest appearance from Rush‘s Alex Lifeson on the 18-minute side-B-consuming â€śIl Mostro Atomico,â€ť but really to focus on that instead of â€śIntelligent Worship,â€ť â€ś(Iâ€™ve Been) Hexed,â€ť â€śDonâ€™t Panic,â€ť â€śSlower than Light,â€ť etc., is only seeing half the point of the album in the first place. The long-running lords of fuzz hit a new stride withÂ 2014â€™sÂ GigantoidÂ (review here), andÂ Clone of the UniverseÂ was in every way a worthy successor.

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26. Witch Mountain, Witch Mountain

It was an unenviable task before Witch Mountain in replacing vocalist Uta Plotkin, but founding guitaristÂ Rob Wrong andÂ drummerÂ Nathan CarsonÂ found the right voice in Kayla Dixon and solidified the lineup with her and bassistÂ Justin Brown enough to make a declarative statement inÂ Witch Mountain‘s self-titled LP. That’s the story of it. They pulled it off. Met with what was unquestionably a bummer circumstance, they pushed through and moved their sound forward through a new beginning — and not their first one. Watch out when their next record hits.

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25. Windhand,Â Eternal Return

Richmond, Virginia, doomers Windhand‘s second collaboration with producer Jack Endino produced a marked and purposeful expansion of their sound, encompassing classic grunge influences and a heavy psychedelic swirl that added color their previously-greyscale sonic haze. Resonant in tone and emotionalism, Eternal Return readjusted Windhand‘s trajectory in such a manner that, where one might’ve thought they knew where the band were headed in terms of their progression, they’ve made themselves a less predictable outfit on the whole. For that alone, it’s a triumph. Then you have the songs.

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24. Sun Voyager,Â Seismic Vibes

I don’t even want to admit how long I was waiting for Sun Voyager‘s first long-player to show up, but when it finally did, the New York trio did not disappoint. Catchy, energetic, fuzzed-out tunes with driving rhythms and a heavy psych flourish, they tapped into shoegaze and desert vibes without losing any sense of themselves in the process, and if the extra wait was so they could be so remarkably coherent in their expression on their full-length, then I wouldn’t want it to have shown up any sooner. An easy pick to stand among 2018’s best debut albums. Now to wait for the next one.

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23. Forming the Void, Rift

It should tell you something that after working quickly to produce three albums, Louisiana’s Forming the Void are still defined by their potential. If I had my druthers, I’d put the recent Ripple signees on tour for the bulk of 2019, across the US and in Europe for festivals and support-slot club shows, really give them an opportunity to hammer out who they are as a band and then hit the studio for LP four. I don’t know if that’ll happen, but they’d only be doing the universe a favor by kicking into that gear. As it stands, their progression is palpable in their material and they stand absolutely ready for whatever the next level might be for them.

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22. Spaceslug,Â Eye the Tide

Aside from the speed at which Spaceslug have turned around offerings — with Eye the Tide following 2017’sÂ Mountains and ReminiscenceÂ EP (review here) andÂ Time Travel DilemmaÂ (review here) full-length and their 2016 debut,Â LemanisÂ (review here) — the Polish outfit have undertaken significant progression in their sound, moving from pure heavy psychedelic warmth to incorporating elements out of extreme metal as they did onÂ Eye the Tide. Adding to the latest record’s accomplishment is the smoothness with which they brought seemingly opposing sides together, only adding depth to an approach already worthy of oceanic comparison.

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21. Conan,Â Existential Void Guardian

Conan‘s reign of terror has been unfolding for more than a decade now, and each of their albums has become a kind of step along a path of incremental growth. Consider the melody creeping into the shouts of founding guitarist Jon Davis, or the emergence of bassist Chris Fielding as a vocal presence alongside, the two sharing a frontman role more than ever before while welcoming drummer Johnny King to the fold of destructive tonality and doomly extremism. Existential Void GuardianÂ may end up just being another stomp-print on their way to the next thing, but it affirmed the fact that as much asÂ ConanÂ grow each time out, their central violence continues to hold sway.

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20. Pale Divine,Â Pale Divine

Look. A new Pale Divine record doesn’t come along every day, so yeah, their self-titled was probably going to be on my list one way or the other, but it definitely helps that not only was it their first outing in six years since 2012’s Painted Windows Black (review here), but it had the songs to live up to a half-decade-plus of anticipation. It marked the first studio appearance from bassist/backing vocalist Ron “Fezz” McGinnis alongside guitarist Greg Diener and drummer Darin McCloskey — now both of Beelzefuzz as well — and made a strong argument for how much Pale DivineÂ deserve more than 20 years on from their initial demo to be considered classic American doom.

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19. Mos Generator,Â Shadowlands

The return and rise to prominence ofÂ Washington pure heavy rockersÂ Mos Generator might be the underground’s feelgood story of the decade, but it hasn’t by any means been easily won. In addition to rebuilding the band however many albums ago, guitarist/vocalistÂ Tony Reed has put in innumerable hours on tour and worked to actually develop the group creatively in addition to in terms of stage presence. This is shown throughout some of the classic prog elements making their way ontoÂ Shadowlands, and perhaps some of the collection’s moodier aspects are born of the aforementioned road time as well. Hard for that kind of thing not to be a slog after a while, but at least they have killer tunes to play.

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18a. Stoned Jesus, Pilgrims

The only safe bet about Stoned Jesus‘ fourth long-player, Pilgrims, was that it was going to sound different than the third. That 2015 outing, The Harvest (review here), preceded the band touring to celebrate the fifth anniversary and after-the-fact success of 2012’s Seven Thunders Roar (review here), but Pilgrims defied narrative in that instead of incorporating elements from the second record in more of a heavy psych or jam sound, Stoned Jesus instead showcased a tighter, more sureheaded sense of craft than they’ve ever displayed before, and arrived on Napalm Records with a collection of songs that demonstrated the growth and sense of creative will that drives them. While one can take a look at their moniker and think immediately they know what’s coming, Stoned Jesus have made themselves one of the least predictable bands in heavy rock.

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18. Backwoods Payback, Future Slum

“Pirate Smile.” “Lines.” “Whatever.” “It Ain’t Right.” “Threes.” “Cinderella.” “Generals.” “Big Enough.” “Alone.” “Lucky. Mike Cummings, Jessica Baker, Erik Larson. Every player, every song, every minute. If you want to know what heart-on-sleeve sounds like, it fucking sounds like Backwoods Payback. In their line from hardcore punk to grunge to heavy rock, they encompass experiences and emotionalism that are both shown in raw form throughout Future Slum, and build all the while on the chemistry they set out in developing with 2016â€™sÂ Fire Not ReasonÂ (review here), when they welcomedÂ LarsonÂ to the lineup on drums and revitalized their mission. Also worth noting, they were the best live band I saw this year. Anywhere.

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17. Corrosion of Conformity,Â No Cross No Crown

No question the excitement of C.O.C. putting out their first record with frontman Pepper Keenan involved since 2005’s In the Arms of God was one of this year’s top stories in heavy. And No Cross No Crown tapped directly into the spirit ofÂ 1994â€™sÂ DeliveranceÂ (discussed here) and 1996â€™sÂ WisebloodÂ (discussed here) in terms of direction, while updating the band’s style with a four-part 2LP in mind. In some ways, it’ll be their next album that really gives listeners a sense of where they’re at and where they might be headed, but as welcome returns go, havingÂ Keenan alongsideÂ Mike Dean,Â Woody Weatherman andÂ Reed Mullin is in no way to be understated, and neither is the quality of their output together, then and now.

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16. Naxatras, III

It is no simple feat to hypnotize an audience and convey serenity while at the same time holding attention with songcraft, so that the listener isn’t actually so much unconscious as malleable of mood and spirit in such a direction as the band suggests. Greek trioÂ Naxatras have worked quickly to become experts at this, and their third full-length fosters tonal warmth and jammy progressions with an overarching naturalism that finds them so committed to analog recording that one can buy direct transfers of the tape master ofÂ III. Some acts take classic-style practices as an aesthetic choice. WithÂ Naxatras, it seems to be the stuff of life, yet their sound is only vibrant and human in a way that, at least one hopes, is even more representative of the future than the past.

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15. Clutch, Book of Bad Decisions

It was time for Clutch to make a change in producers, and the Maryland overlords of groove seemed to know it. Known as a live band, they went with Vance Powell, who’s known a live band producer. The results on Book of Bad Decisions might not have been so earth-shatteringly different from 2015â€™sÂ Psychic WarfareÂ (review here), which was the too-soon follow-up to 2013â€™sÂ Earth RockerÂ (review here) — both helmed byÂ Machine — but the inimitable four-piece indeed succeeded in capturing the electricity of their stage performance and, as ever, treated fans to a collection of songs bearingÂ Clutch‘s unmistakable hallmarks of quirky lyrics, funky rhythms and heavy roll. They may always be a live band, butÂ Clutch‘s studio work is in no way to be discounted, ever, as this record reaffirmed. Plus, crab cakes.

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14. Ancestors, Suspended in Reflections

AfterÂ 2012â€™sÂ In Dreams and TimeÂ (review here), I wasn’t sureÂ Ancestors were going to put out another record. They kicked around word of one for a while, but it wasn’t until the end of last year that it really seemed to congeal into a possibility. And by then, who the hell knew what they might get up to on a full-length? WithÂ Suspended in Reflections, in some says, they picked up where they left off in terms of finding a niche for themselves in progressive and melodic heavy, but I think the time showed in the poise of their execution and the control of the material.Â Suspended in Reflections can’t help but be six years more mature than its predecessor, and that suits its contemplative feel. In tracks like “Gone,” and “The Warm Glow,” they tempered their expansive sound with an efficiency that can only be had with time.

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13. High on Fire,Â Electric Messiah

The narrative here was hard to beat. Matt Pike spending an album cycle talking about Lemmy Kilmister and paying homage to his dirt-rock forebear and the gods of old? It doesn’t get much more perfect than that.Â Electric Messiah was the third collaboration betweenÂ High on FireÂ and producerÂ Kurt Ballou behindÂ 2015â€™sÂ LuminiferousÂ (review here) and 2012â€™sÂ De Vermiis MysteriisÂ (review here), and while it seemed after the last record that the formula might be getting stale,Â the band only sounded more and more lethal throughout the latest offering. Even putting aside their contributions to underground heavy, they’ve become one of the most essential metal bands of their generation. Metal, period. Doesn’t matter what subgenre you’re talking about it. If you’re listening toÂ High on Fire, you know it. Usually because you’ve just been decapitated.

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12. Yawning Man,Â The Revolt Against Tired Noises

You know, if you take the time to separate Yawning Man from their 30-plus-year history and their legacy as one of the foundational acts of what later became desert rock, and you listen to The Revolt Against Tired Noises, you’re still left with basically a dream of an album. Mostly instrumental, as is their wont, they nonetheless had bassist Mario Lalli (also Fatso Jetson) sing this time around on a version of the previously-unreleased “Catamaran,” which Kyuss covered once upon a whenever although Yawning Man had never officially put it to tape. But really, that and all other novelty aside, guitarist Gary Arce, Lalli and drummer Bill Stinson are a chemistry unto themselves. I don’t know if they’ll ever be as huge as they should be, but every bit of acclaim they get, they’ve earned, and ifÂ The Revolt Against Tired NoisesÂ helps them get it, all the more so.

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11. Greenleaf,Â Hear the Rivers

Swedish heavy rock mavens Greenleaf have become an entirely different band than they once were. No longer a Dozer side-project from guitarist Tommi Holappa with a rotating cast of players, they’re a solidified, road-tested, powerhouse unit, and Hear the Rivers bleeds soul as a result. Holappa, frontman Arvid HĂ¤llagĂĄrd, bassist Hans FrĂ¶hlich and drummer Sebastian Olsson sound like they’re absolutely on fire in the album’s tracks, and far from being staid or formulaic as one might expect a sixth long-player to be, Hear the Rivers built on what the band accomplished withÂ 2016â€™sÂ Rise Above the MeadowÂ (review here) and came across as all the more vital and nearly frenetic in their energy. I won’t sayÂ GreenleafÂ has seen their last lineup change, because one never knows, but the band as they are today is the realization of potential I don’t think even Greenleaf knew was there.

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10. Gozu,Â Equilibrium

Five records deep into a career into its second decade, Gozu haven’t had a miss yet. Admittedly, some of their early work can seem formative considering where they are now, but still. And after the 2016 rager,Â RevivalÂ (review here), to have the band return to the same studio —Â Wild Arctic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where strides producerÂ Dean BaltulonisÂ — for the follow-up allows for the four-piece to directly show how their sound has grown more encompassing in the last couple years. And it has. Equilibrium is a rich and varied listen that holds true toÂ Gozu‘s well-established penchant for soulful vibes and crunching, hard-hitting riffs and groove, but while it shares the directness of approach withÂ Revival, it makes moves that a band could only make moving from one record to the next. I expect nothing less their next time out as well, because a decade later, that’s Gozu‘s proven track record.

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9. Monster Magnet,Â Mindfucker

The battle for the best album title of 2018 ended early when New Jersey everything-rockers Monster Magnet announced the release of Mindfucker. And what else to call a Monster Magnet LP at this point? They’ve stopped writing to genre. They’re driven by the creative mania of frontman/founder Dave Wyndorf, and they’ve seen psychedelic expanses and commercial success the likes of which would serve the tenure of four lesser bands. What’s left to do but whatever the hell you want? So that’s what Monster Magnet are doing. It just so happens that while they’re doing it, they’re still basically outclassing the entirety of the former planet earth as songwriters. AsÂ Monster MagnetÂ fan in 2018, there was nothing more I could’ve asked than whatÂ Mindfucker delivered. And if you’re still trying to get your brain around it however many months later, you’re not alone. I think that’s the idea.

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8. Apostle of Solitude, From Gold to Ash

Best doom album of 2018. The combination of craft and passion behind the delivery. The way the dark tones fed into the emotions so clearly on display and sheer presence of it in listening to songs like “Keeping the Lighthouse,” “Ruination by Thy Name” and “My Heart is Leaving Here.” Apostle of Solitude never seem to be the highest profile band out there, but their work seems never to be anything less than outstanding, and I refuse to accept them as anything less than among the most pivotal American acts out there making traditional doom. And not just making it, but making it their own, with a sense of new pursuits and individualism that extends to playing style as well as atmosphere. I know doom isn’t exactly in short supply these days — figuratively or literally — but if you miss out on what Apostle of Solitude are doing with it, you’ll only regret it later. I’ll say it one more time: Best doom album of 2018.

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7. Holy Grove, Holy Grove II

Every now and again, anticipating the crap of an album really pays off, and such was the case with Holy Grove II, the Ripple Music debut from the Portland outfit whose 2016 self-titled (review here) seemed like such a herald of excellence to come while also, you know, being killer. Holy Grove II brought the four-piece of vocalist Andrea Vidal, guitarist Trent Jacobs, bassist Gregg Emley and drummer Eben Travis to entirely new levels of composition and execution. In songs like “Blade Born,” the shorter, sharper “Aurora,” the patiently rolling “Valley of the Mystics,” “Solaris” and closer “Cosmos,” which boasted a not-really-necessary-but-definitely-welcome guest vocal appearance from YOB‘s Mike Scheidt, — and oh wait, that’s all of the tracks — Holy Grove entered a different echelon. Anticipation will likewise be high forÂ Holy Grove III, but it’ll be hard to complain with this record to keep company in the meantime.

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6. All Them Witches,Â ATW

Over five All Them Witches albums, the Nashville four-piece have gone from a nascent heavy Americana jam band to one of the most distinct acts in the US underground. Their development in sound is chemistry-driven, so it was a risk when the founding trio of bassist/vocalist Charles Michael Parks, Jr., guitarist Ben McLeodÂ (who also produced) and drummer Robby Staebler welcomed new keyboardist Jonathan Draper into the lineup to take the place of Allan van Cleave. Amid a more naturalist production than that of 2017’sÂ Sleeping Through the WarÂ (review here), the revamped four-piece flourished in terms of songwriting and conveying their stage-born sonic personae. From the gleeful fuckery of opener “Fishbelly 86 Onions” to the memorable moodiness of “Diamond” and the back-end jam “Harvest Feast” en route to the stretched-out end of “Rob’s Dream,”Â All Them Witches essentially confirmed they could do whatever they wanted and make it work.

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5. YOB,Â Our Raw Heart

Released by Relapse Records. Reviewed June 7.

Actually, if you want a sample of YOB‘s raw heart, the place to go is probably 2014’s Clearing the Path to Ascend (review here), but whatever the Eugene, Oregon, shapers of cosmic doom might’ve lacked in titular accuracy on their eighth long-player, they made up for in a new, statesman-like posture. Their approach was mature, hammered out to a professionalism working completely on its own terms, and they never sounded so sure of who they are as a band or as confident of their direction. In extended cuts “Beauty in Falling Leaves” and “Our Raw Heart,” they explored new and progressive textures and melodies, and managed to reaffirm their core aspects while finding room for conveying emotion that came across as nothing but ultimately sincere. They have been and still are one of a kind, and as they continue to move forward, they remain a band that makes one feel lucky to be alive to witness their work. Our Raw HeartÂ was perhaps more refined than it let on, but the heart was there for sure, as always.

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4. Brant Bjork,Â Mankind Woman

I’m not going to say I wasn’t a fan of the (relatively) harder-hitting approachÂ Brant Bjork and his Low Desert Punk Band took onÂ 2014â€™sÂ Black Power FlowerÂ (review here) and 2016â€™sÂ Tao of the DevilÂ (review here), butÂ Mankind WomanÂ brought in some more of his soul influences, and whether it was the subtly subversive funk of “Chocolatize” and “Brand New Old Times” or the callout “1968” and laid back vibes of the title-track and “Swagger and Sway,”Â Bjork — working with guitaristÂ Bubba DuPree on songwriting and production — offered a definitive look at what has made his 20-year solo career so special and demonstrates not only his longevity and his legacy, but his will to continue to progress as an artist honing his craft. His discography is well populated by now to be sure, butÂ Mankind Woman represents a turn from the last couple records, and if it’s in any way portentous of things to come, it bodes well.Â Bjork is right at home nestled into classic-style grooves, and his legacy as one of the principal architects of desert rock is continually reaffirmed.

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3. Earthless,Â Black Heaven

They’ve been great, not just good, for a long time now, and as forerunners of the San Diego heavy scene, they’re godfathers to an up and coming generation of bands taking their influence — let alone acts from the rest of the world — but Black Heaven is a special moment for them because of its departure. No, it wasn’t not the first time guitarist Isaiah Mitchell sang on an Earthless recording, but it did represent a tip of the balance in that direction for the band on a studio full-length, and that resulted in a special moment. Album opener “Gifted by the Wind” was one of the best songs I heard this year, and while “End to End” and the all-thrust “Volt Rush” affirmed that more traditional songwriting was well within the grasp of Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba, they still found space for a sprawling jam or two, keeping their claim on the instrumentalism that’s (largely) fueled their tenure to date.Â EarthlessÂ don’t want for acclaim, but every bit of it is earned, and while their primary impact has always been live,Â Black Heaven saw them construct a traditional-style LP that still bore the hallmarks of their collective personality. It was the best of all worlds.

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2. King Buffalo,Â Longing to Be the Mountain

In the dark early hours of 2018, the Rochester, New York, trio of guitarist/vocalist Sean McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds and drummer Scott Donaldson issued theÂ RepeaterÂ EP (review here) as a follow-up to their 2016 debut,Â OrionÂ (review here), soÂ Longing to Be the Mountain didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, but even withÂ Repeater preceding its arrival, I don’t think anyone necessary expectedÂ King Buffalo‘s second album to have such a scope or to be so engrossing with it. In its melody, patience, atmosphere and heft, it was an absolute joy to behold. Its songs were memorable at the same time they were far-reaching, and whileÂ Orion was already my pick for the best debut of 2016,Â Longing to Be the Mountain realized even more potential than that record had hinted toward. It could be intimate or majestic at its whim, and its dynamic set an individual characterization of heavy psychedelia and blues-style sprawl that the band wholly owned. With production byÂ Ben McLeod ofÂ All Them Witches behind them, they worked to serve notice of a progression undertaken the results of which are already staggering and still seem to be looking ahead to the next stage, literally and figuratively. One of the principal standards I use in constructing this list every year is what I listen to most. That’s this record.

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1. Sleep,Â The Sciences

Obviously, right? To some extent, when Sleep surprise-announced on April 19 they’d release their first album in 15 years the next day, and then did, they took ownership of 2018. Even with records still to come at that point from YOB and Sleep guitarist Matt Pike‘s own High on Fire, there was no way that when the end of the year came around, it wasn’t going to be defined by the advent of a new Sleep record. And even if it sucked, it would probably still be Album of the Year, but fortunately, as Pike, bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros (also Om) and drummer Jason Roeder (also Neurosis) took their long-running stage reunion to the studio, they brought material that highlighted the best elements from all players. Pike‘s wild soloing, Cisneros‘ meditative vocals and Roeder‘s intricate but smooth style of roll all came together in older pieces like “Antarcticans Thawed” and “Sonic Titan” and newer highlights “Giza Butler” and “Marijuanaut’s Theme,” and aside from the excitement at their existence, they showed the mastery of form that Sleep had been demonstrating live since 2009 and which they hinted toward in the 2014 single,Â The ClarityÂ (review here). A newÂ Sleep full-length was something long-discussed, long-rumored and long-considered, but when it finally happened, I think the results vaporized expectation in a way no one could’ve anticipated. There’s a reasonÂ Sleep areÂ Sleep. HavingÂ The Sciences as a reminder of that brought about the defining moment of 2018.

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The Next 20

Indeed, it wouldn’t be much of a Top 30 at all if it didn’t go to 50. Don’t try to make sense of it, just look at the records.

Believe me when I tell you, I sweated over this section more than I did the actual top 30. Mansion should be higher. So should Chubby Thunderous, though something in me thought they might like being #50 on a list of 30. Church of the Cosmic Skull, Clamfight, Black Rainbows, Foehammer, Seedy Jeezus, Messa, Domkraft. All of these were fucking awesome. And there are more (we’ll get there). Eventually numbers add up. I won’t say a bad word about any of these. That’s it.

Honorable Mention

This section always winds up expanded as other people point out things I missed and so on, but here’s what I’ve got in the immediate, alphabetically:

Special Note

Somehow it didn’t seem appropriate to include these in the list proper because they’re not really underground releases, but there were two more records I especially wanted to highlight for their quality:

Alice in Chains, Rainier Fog

Judas Priest, Firepower

Best Short Release of the Year

Normally I’d do this as a separate post, but as a result of being robbed earlier this year, I feel like my list is woefully incomplete. If you have any demos, EPs, splits, singles, etc., to add to it, please feel free to do so in the comments below. Still, the top pick was clear:

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard & Slomatics,Â Totems Split

Rarely do two bands work in such coherent tandem to their mutual benefit. Here are a few other essential short releases for 2018, alphabetically:

All Them Witches,Â Lost and Found

Alunah,Â Amber & Gold

Canyon,Â Mk II

Demon Head,Â The Resistence

Destroyer of Light,Â Hopeless

Ecstatic Vision,Â Under the Influence

Godmaker & Somnuri, Split

Holy Mushroom,Â Blood and Soul

King Buffalo,Â Repeater

Minsk & Zatokrev, Split

Sleep,Â Leagues Beneath

Stonus,Â Lunar Eclipse

Sundecay,Â Gale

Looking Forward

A good many albums have already been announced or hinted at for 2019. I in no way claim this to be a complete roundup of what’s coming, but here’s what I have in my notes so far, in absolutely no order:

Okay, That’s It

Really though, while this is by no means my last post of 2018, I can’t let it pass without saying thank you so much to everyone for checking out the site this year, or for just digging into this, or for sending me music, or hitting me up on social media, sharing a link, anything. Thank you. Thank you. I could never have imagined when it started out where it would be now. Or that I’d still be doing it. Your support means more to me than I can say, and I thank you so much for being a part of this with me.

So thanks.

If you have something to add to the list, please do so by leaving a comment below, but keep in mind as well the above note requesting civility. Please don’t make me feel stupid because I forgot your favorite record. I forgot a lot of people’s favorite records. I’m one dude. I’m doing my best.

And please keep in mind if you’ve got a list together that the Year-End Poll is open and results will be out Jan. 1.

On Friday, The Riven will unveil the first single from their impending 2019 debut album. That record doesn’t have a name yet, at least not a public one, but it will be released in a new deal the classic heavy rocking outfit has inked with The Sign Records and it will follow last year’s Blackbird EP (discussed here). Since that five-tracker was recorded in 2016, the band has moved from London to Stockholm, and the new record — because of course — was put to tape in Madrid. Consider it a pan-European heavy rock experience if you must, but The Riven will be another name on 2019’s most anticipated list, and I’ll hope to have more to come on it as we get closer to the release.

For now, here’s the announcement from The Sign Records, as per the PR wire:

The Sign Records signs The Riven. The band is set to release their debut album during the spring 2019 and their first single ‘Fortune Teller’ is set for release the 19th of October.

In 2018 The Riven went to Madrid, not to spend time under the Spanish sun but rather curled up in the valved cellar studio at Holy Cuervo Studios. In ten days they powered through the recordâ€™s nine songs producing an album that in the words of the drummer Olof AxegĂ¤rd â€śIs loud, is rock, is soul, and prog, it has it all!â€ť. The Riven will be releasing their highly anticipated first full length with The Sign Records in the spring of 2019.

The band have recorded their debut album with Ola Ersfjord (Tribulation, Lucifer, Primordial) in Madrid. The album artwork is made by Maarten Donders. The album is a pure injection of Rock into the system.

“The Riven are set to release one of the strongest Swedish debut albums in many years. The band holds a perfect combination of bluesy vocals and classical rock sound. We are humbled over the opportunity to work with, and be able to present The Riven to the world.” – Kaj Sivervik, The Sign Records

“We are super excited to announce that we are signing with the Sign Records. One of the reasons to why we moved the band from the UK to Sweden was that we wanted to be part of the scene over here. We have a great love for bands like HĂ¤llas, Hypnos and MaidaVale and to be on the same label as those guys, as well as other great acts too, is really a step in the right direction for us. We knew that working with Kaj and the Patricks would be great for the band when we first heard Kaj speak on Rockpodden. His love and passion for the bands on the label is something you donâ€™t come across too often and we strongly feel that a collaboration of this sort needs to have that element. It was in that moment we knew that we wanted to be on The Sign records. Now letâ€™s bring on the release and let the good times roll!” – Max Ternebring, The Riven

The whole point of this list is that it’s not exhaustive. I feel like I say this every year, but it’s not meant to be the best covers of 2017. How would I even begin to judge that kind of thing? Appreciation for visual art is so subjective that, even in a niche within a niche within a niche like the cover pieces for heavy rock and/or doom and/or psych records, the sphere is simply too vast. I just want to have a good time looking at kickass album covers. That’s really it.

Of course, there’s always plenty of fare ready and waiting. I kept a running list all year of things that really stuck out to me, and there are some familiar names here along with some newcomers. My gripe with the proliferation of cartoon tits continues and grows even more fervent as the political climate in which this stuff happens — because even riffs don’t occur in a vacuum, sorry — becomes increasingly fraught, problematic and outright heinous, but there doesn’t seem to be any slowing that particular patriarchal train in this bizarre subculture. Dudes gotta be objectifying women and such to make up for the disaffection they feel from society at large. Weak. Grow up.

And again — I said this last year too — but I’m a fucking hypocrite because of the 14 artists listed in these 12 covers, there isn’t one woman included. Not one. I looked at my list and hung my fool head in self-disappointment. Fortunately, looking at awesome artwork is the kind of thing from which I derive emotional comfort. It’s been a real rollercoaster putting this one together, I guess.

Alright, enough delay. If you’ve got favorites that you don’t see here — and I’m sure you do because I do as well — please let me know in the comments. Thanks in advance for not being a jerk.

Here goes:

Ordered alphabetically by artist

Alunah, Solennial

Though it wasÂ Alunah‘s 2014 album,Â Awakening the ForestÂ (review here), that found Michael CowellÂ introducing the framing style and color scheme used on their latest offering as well,Â Adrian Baxter‘s piece for the Birmingham outfit’s fourth LP andÂ Svart RecordsÂ label debut,Â Solennial (review here), is an utter standout. Themes of death and life and nature echo the organic feel always on display throughoutÂ Alunah‘s songwriting, and amid the highly detailed line drawing, the flashes of red evoke the richness of blood to comport with the skeletons and the vines twisted about like innards, subtly reminding of the band’s pagan and forest-canopy ethereality.

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Brume, Rooster

Shaun Beaudry does a lot of work in pen and ink and coffee stain, and like many of his pieces, the cover art for Rooster (review here), the Doom Stew/DHU Records debut album from San Francisco three-pieceÂ Brume, seems like it’s tailor-made to be a tattoo. More than that, what strikes me about it is the sense of narrative happening with the serpent-bird, the eggs, the coiling around what would seem to be an unfortunate scavenger and the dandelions and leaves surrounding. Each element looksÂ like it’s giving messages, holding meaning, communicating ideas, and with such exquisite detail, the effect on the viewer is all the more immersive.

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Cloud Catcher, Trails of Kozmic Dust

I imagine that, one way or another, every time I post a list like this it will feature a cover byÂ Adam Burke.Â In 2017, in addition to the art forÂ Cloud Catcher‘sÂ Trails of Kozmic DustÂ (review here), the man behindÂ Nightjar Illustration (and who did one of this site’s headers and the cover art for my book) also blasted out mention-worthy pieces topping records by SĂłlstafirÂ and Spectral Haze, and his epic oil-on-canvas fantasy-art style always manages to stun. Look at the sense of scale in theÂ Cloud Catcher cover, and the way that, as we see this cosmic battle happening, the stars seem to bleed through the two warriors, as though we’re looking at something happening across dimensions. And so we are. Beautiful.

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Elder, Reflections of a Floating World

A continued collaboration betweenÂ Elder andÂ Adrian Dexter yielded dividends once again with the artwork forÂ Reflections of a Floating World (review here), released byÂ Stickman RecordsÂ andÂ Armageddon Shop. Perhaps it’s not fair to include just the cover in this list since in my head I’m picturing the full LP’s swath of visuals, but even just in this single piece, Dexter gorgeously mirrors (get it? because “reflections?”) the band’s progressive stylizations with his own, evoking classic, stare-at-it-for-hours, poster-ready artwork and seeming to leave one wondering which end of the reflection is up and which is down in much the same way as the band’s dizzying complexity of songcraft.

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The Riven, Blackbird

InÂ their video for “Killer on the Loose” (posted here), London-based heavy soul rockersÂ The Riven play before a backdrop with the sameÂ Maarten Donders artwork on it as their debut EP,Â Blackbird.Â Donders is another repeat offender as far as appearances on this list go, and the many-timeÂ RoadburnÂ poster collaborator’sÂ detailed style, classic form and muted colors provide a feeling of warmth that seems almost like a goalÂ The Riven are trying to achieve in their sound. From the moon, to the key, to the face being obliterated in smoke, the blackbird itself, the rune-laden ouroboros, the dead and hollow tree trunk, each element of theÂ Blackbird cover holds a mystery of its own, and yet it all fits together perfectly as well, as though the art was a puzzle onlyÂ Donders could piece together. I’d make a banner out of it, too.

Unearthly Trance, Stalking the Ghost

One has to wonder if, in his choice of red and purple hues, if Relapse Records in-house artistÂ Orion LandauÂ wasn’t specifically looking to referenceÂ Black Sabbath‘sÂ Born AgainÂ in the artwork forÂ Unearthly Trance‘sÂ Stalking the Ghost (review here). Could we be looking at the devil-baby from that 1983 record all grown up in 2017? And could that reference itself be a clever manner of noting that it’s a reunion album for the band? That they’re, in essence, born again? Either way, the three hooded figures and the beast they’ve leashed are a haunting enough presence to fit with the LP’s title and the atmospherics of the group itself, while also being emblematic of the precision and detailÂ Landau brings to the diverse range of work he does forÂ RelapseÂ artists across various realms of extremity and metal.

The framing of the photo is a big part of the draw here, of course. The spiral of the abandoned rollercoaster.Â Oceanwake‘sÂ Earthen (review here)Â seemed to set the goal of living up to its cover atmospherically and with the Kubrick-style framing of the abandoned rollercoaster that pulls the eye inward, almost like you’re looking down and not straight ahead, journeyman photographerÂ Chris Luckhardt captured a murk that set a high standard indeed. The metaphor is laid on a little thick, to be sure — it isn’t subtle — but neither is the sound ofÂ Oceanwake, and the overarching greys and brooding vibe of the photo serve to genuinely affect the listening experience. Photo covers can be especially hard to pull off. This one does especially well to remain obscure even as its lines drag you in. Where does that coaster end up?

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Argus, From Fields of Fire

Anyone with any level of appreciation for classic metal should by rights be an admirer of Brad Moore. The standard applies. Dude has a knack for capturing the kind ofÂ imagery you might’ve tried to emulate on the front of your high school notebook, but just ended up with an indecipherable mess of lines and half-formed monsters.Â Argus‘ 2017 album,Â From Fields of Fire (review here), with its bizarre hellscape, calls to mind doom, the NWOBHM and even some more extreme, death metal records, but the point rings true that what’s happening here is horns-up, balls-out, no-irony, no-fucking-around metal, and the most majesticÂ Argus offering yet deserved no less. The detail of Moore‘s lines, the root influence of fantasy art, and in this case especially, the setting of theme through the use of red made this one especially arresting.

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Spidergawd, IV

Easy pick. Sorry, but calling outÂ SpidergawdÂ art for being awesome is kind of low-hanging-fruit as far as critical assessment goes, as the fact is that’s been an essential element of what they’ve done all along across their four to-date full-lengths. The latest them,Â Spidergawd IV (review here), boasts the above piece byÂ Emile Morel and inhabits the same pastel world as their past outings, but marks a turn for not having a human or semi-human figure as a part of the front cover. Instead we see an arachnid monster who may well represent the Norwegian band itself residing in a garden of fungi wonderfully rendered so that the colors almost obscure the danger lurking around. It’s very much to form, but does nothing to diminish its impact.

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Process of Guilt, Black Earth

Cover by Hugo Santos and Pedro Almeida.

Granted, I said at the outset that this list wasn’t about rankings or picking favorites, and it’s not. I stand by that. However, no other album cover hit me as immediately hard as Process of Guilt‘sÂ Black Earth (review here) with its photographed sculpture byÂ Hugo Santos andÂ Pedro Almeida. I don’t know who did what in terms of the division of labor in its making, but the horrific realism of the result has continued to haunt in the best way possible with its evocation of death, the spirit, the natural world and the contrast between light and dark. It seems so simple on the surface, but at the same time it’s so exacting in its position and its starkness that I can’t help but feel like it’s staring at me every time I see it, or more accurately, staring into me from someplace dark and other.

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Rozamov, This Mortal Road

When I first saw the art forÂ Rozamov‘s awaitedÂ Battleground RecordsÂ debut long-player,Â This Mortal RoadÂ (review here),Â I was sure it had to be byÂ Samantha Muljat. From the color wash in the sky to the otherworldly blend of photography and manipulation, to the geometric line-making overlaid, it just seemed to fit.Â AndrewÂ Weiss, however, has doneÂ covers for Pelican, Spirit Adrift, and many others, and in concert withÂ Matt Martinez‘s layout, his alien landscape is duly fraught and barren-looking while leaving the viewer to wonder if that’s a lone figure standing in the distance or just an oddly-shaped outcropping between the looming threat of the surrounding cavern walls. The message: there’s only one road ahead, only one way through it all.

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A couple honorable mentions that I know I’ll add to as soon as this list goes live and I think of like 10 more records that looked awesome:

So who did I miss? What were your favorite album covers of the year? Do you have a preferred style? Leave a comment with your picks and let’s get a conversation going. I know people feel strongly about this stuff, but please keep it civil so we can all have a good time.

Comprised of five tracks of classic boogie made modern through production clarity and general of-the-now blues vibes, The Riven‘s debut EP, Blackbird, makes a strikingly cohesive impression. The four-piece start out at a rush with “Ain’t No Doctor” and nestle themselves right away into a crisper take on post-Blues Pills heavy jams, big on hooks and easy on groove. London isn’t exactly short on heavy rock and roll these days — or ever — but asÂ The Riven dive into cuts like “Tower” andÂ Blackbird‘s centerpiece title-track, it’s pretty clear they’re making an effort to stand themselves out from the pack.

The band features bassistÂ Max Ternebring, also ofÂ Bright Curse, and doesn’t waste time in letting him make an impression on “Ain’t No Doctor,” but by the time they get down to “Killer on the Loose” before closing out with “One Last Time,” it’s as much about the whole shuffle as what anyone individually betweenÂ Ternebring, guitaristÂ Arnau Diaz, vocalist Charlotta EkeberghÂ and drummerÂ Olof AxegĂ¤rd might be doing at any given moment. That said,Â Ekebergh establishes a considerable frontwoman presence throughout, and that remains no less true asÂ AxegĂ¤rd‘s nuanced snare work punctuates her echoes on “One Last Time” than it was for the boogie of “Tower” earlier on the release. Clearly not something happening by accident.

For those of us not fortunate enough to haunt the bevvy of underground heavy rock clubs throughout London’s winding neighborhoods,Â The Riven have a brand new performance video for “Killer on the Loose” that’s premiering today. It basically captures them doing what they do with the rock and roll and whatnot, splicing in some old black and white horror movie footage for good measure. You know the drill by now, I’ve no doubt. The highlight of the thing, of course, is the song itself, which stands amongÂ Blackbird‘s strongest hooks, delivered fromÂ Ekebergh with just a bit of a blown-out edge on her vocals. You’ll hear what I’m talking about as you make your way through.

More info follows the clip below, courtesy of the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

The Riven, “Killer on the Loose” official video

London based heavy rock band THE RIVEN released their debut EP Blackbird on April 14 2017. The album’s five tracks recall the glory of 70s hard rock and is influenced by bands such as Grand Funk Railroad and Deep Purple.

The Riven is all about raw, soulful, heavy rock with lots of hot sauce and cheap beer. Formed in West London after an alcohol-fueled songwriting session between guitarist Arnau Diaz and bass player Max Ternebring, they were soon to be accompanied by Charlotta Ekebergh on vocals and Olof Axegard on drums.

With a love for bands like Rush, Grand Funk Railroad and Deep Purple in common they started writing and recording songs together. Recording and mixing was done by JB Pilon at his studio Buffalo Studios in East London in November 2016.